Patricia Rice at Amazon.com says: Light the candles, turn down the lights,and put Cinema Amore on your iPod . You are in for a brilliant performance of solo piano pieces. The repertoire may be eclectic yet hauntingly familiar, taken from some of the most iconic movies of this past generation as well as virtuosic classical pieces. .. Mr. Sawoski has the formidable ability to create orchestral sound from the piano. Always the melody sings out, while the harmonic support of his arrangements are sophisticated and elegant … Particularly love “With Every Breath I Take” from City of Angels and the Chopin scherzo is a tour de force performance... Highly recommend this collection.

John Sawoski is an in-demand Los Angeles-based multi-keyboardist, composer, orchestrator, and musical director. During the past 25 years, he has played for and/or conducted numerous first-class touring musical productions and orchestras, and his arrangements and orchestrations have been performed by the Philly Pops as well as many other orchestras and Hollywood studio ensembles. He has also played for three American Presidents and accompanied a wide variety of artists including Michael Feinstein, Jim Carrey, Audra McDonald, Bernadette Peters, and Rodney Gilfry.

This relaxing and expressive album, “Cinema Amore,” released July 7, 2013, is John Sawoski’s solo piano collection of movie love themes and other classics, recorded by Rhys Moody at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, CA, and mastered by Ron McMaster at Capitol Mastering.The album begins with the often-requested “Playing Love,” the evocative main theme from the film “The Legend of 1900,” by Ennio Morricone. Next we hear a short and very sweet original tune by John Sawoski, called “The Morning Light.” This is followed by the very emotional “Wakare No Asa (The Music Played),” an international hit which is very popular in Japan. The “Cinema Paradiso” medley follows, featuring both the main theme by Ennio Morricone and the love theme co-written with Ennio’s son Andrea. Next is Elmer Bernstein’s beautiful “Autumn in Connecticut” from the film “Far from Heaven,” which Mr. Sawoski first transcribed and arranged for the Kodak Cinematography Awards Ceremonies (a private event for cinematographers nominated for Academy Awards, featuring musical excerpts from the nominated films/TV shows). After that, we hear George Winston’s “Thanksgiving,” an iconic 1980s new age piano piece. Next is “Sweet,” composed by John Sawoski for the independent film “Day of Atonement.” Cy Coleman’s haunting “With Every Breath I Take” from “City of Angels” follows, with some light improvisation. “Moon River” and the main title theme from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” are included next, because Henry Mancini suggested to John Sawoski that he should release a solo piano album, and here it is. Then we hear Stephen Sondheim’s “Pretty Women” from “Sweeney Todd.” The last two pieces on the album are classical piano favorites, although they have both been used in movies. First we hear the 2nd theme from the third movement of the Grieg Piano Concerto. Then the album ends with the almost 10-minute long, wildly exciting and playful Chopin Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 31. The Chopin was recorded in real time by John Sawoski using the Steinway from Quantum Leap Pianos virtual instrument library, which Sawoski helped to create (by playing the piano samples) at EastWest Studios in 2006, and which is now the leading piano virtual instrument library.